A set-top box is a device that connects to a television and an external signal source, turning the signals into content that displays on the television. The signal source includes Ethernet cable, satellite dish, coaxial cable, telephone line, broadband over power line, VHF or UHF antenna, or the like. Content includes any or all of video, audio, Internet webpages, interactive games, or the like. A set-top box, also known as a cable receiver when configured specifically for cable, or as a home media center when configured specifically for home media purposes, may be implemented as a standalone product or as an integrated part of a complete television.
Digital cable receivers receive digital television (DTV) broadcasts and content and may optionally receive analog television broadcasts for display on television sets that do not have a compatible built in digital tuner. For direct broadcast satellite systems, the set-top box is an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD). Some digital set-top boxes also have a built in digital video recorder (DVR) with a user interface for scheduling and recording content to an internal hard drive or data storage device. The user interface is typically an electronic program guide (EPG) that allows the viewer to schedule broadcast television or radio programs, with functions to navigate, select, and discover content by time, title, channel, genre, or the like, by the use of a remote control, keyboard, or other input devices such as a phone keypad. The EPG allows the viewer to see what is currently being shown on the channels that the set-top box receives.
The cable receiver utilizes a channel map, or virtual channel map, to relate or associate the physical channels in the RF spectrum to the actual TV channels, digital radio broadcasts, or other services. When the cable receiver includes a CableCARD, as defined by the CableLabs OpenCable™ specification, that is installed and functioning properly, the cable receiver connects to cable provider data feed(s) to obtain both the cable channel map and authorizations for the subscribed services. The channel map enables tuning as well as the link needed for the EPG to map its guide data to the actual physical channels. For non-OpenCable™ receivers or OpenCable™ receivers not equipped with a CableCARD, this channel lineup information that maps physical channels in the RF spectrum to video services and virtual channels is typically not published, and since the channel map changes by geographical region, the cable receiver vendor cannot pre-configure the cable receiver with a complete channel map. A complete setup of such a cable receiver involves significant consumer assistance to map the channels to the EPG.
Thus, there is a demand for a method for acquiring a channel map in a device such as a cable receiver, set-top box, home media center, or the like. The presently disclosed invention satisfies this demand.